It is known in the shingle art that shingles that are applied to a roof are generally applied in courses, running up the slope of a roof, toward the apex or ridge of the roof.
For example, in applying shingles to different sloped surfaces of a roof, wherein those sloped surfaces meet at an apex, the various courses of shingles on each side of the apex are increasingly disposed up each slope, until the apex or ridge of the roof is reached. At that point, it is desirable to provide a shingle that is a unitary structure that overlies a portion of each sloped surface of the roof, including the apex of the roof.
Sometimes, a piece of shingle is cut to be applied over the shingles on each sloped surface, and over the apex, in an inverted “V” manner. In bending such shingle, generally when it is of the manufactured asphalt shingle type, it is possible that, as the shingle is bent to have an included angle between surfaces thereof, to partially cover each surface of the roof as well as the apex of the roof, cracks can form.
In instances where the shingles are substantially rigid, such as resembling slate, tile, shakes or the like, it is often not practical to bend a shingle to cover the surfaces on each side of the apex of a roof. In some such cases molded plastic ridge cap pieces are applied to cover the gap at the roof edge. In other instances, a row of barrel-like tiles are applied over the apex of a roof. In still other instances, molded bent synthetic slate shingles are pre-shaped to a specific angle, to be applied over the ridge of a roof.
Examples of prior art techniques for covering a hip, ridge or rake portion of a roof exist in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,340, 6,418,692, and 7,178,294.